Matt McBride, Charlie Blackmon stay hot for Colorado Springs Sky Sox

Two hot hitters and a milestone for manager Stu Cole colored Triple-A Colorado Springs’ doubleheader sweep of Tacoma on Sunday.

The Sky Sox won the first game 9-6, then took the second game 3-2 on third baseman Brendan Harris’ walkoff, bases-loaded single in the eighth (it counted as an extra-inning game because of the two scheduled seven-inning games of the doubleheader).

With the two victories, Cole moved into second place for all-time wins by a Sky Sox manager with 225. Cole, in his fourth season with the Sox, passed former Sox manager Tom Runnels, the Rockies’ current bench coach and the man whom Cole replaced halfway through the 2009 season. Cole now trails only Sky Sox Hall of Famer Brad Mills, the last manager to win a PCL Championship for the Sky Sox, who totaled 271 regular-season wins and 276 total wins for the Sky Sox.

Matt McBride hit his eighth homer of the season in the first game and now ranks second on the team with 61 RBIs. He also got a hit in the second game, extended his hitting streak to 16 games, one shy of the season high set by Tim Wheeler (17 games).

Charlie Blackmon also had hits in both games and both McBride and Blackmon are hitting .403 in July.

In the opener, starter Guillermo Moscoso gave up six runs in six innings, allowing nine hits and walking three.

Arkansas 4, Tulsa 1
A lack of offense has been the Double-A Drillers’ problem all season. It hurt them again Sunday as they dropped their fourth straight game. In the four losses, Tulsa has scored just five runs.

The Drillers’ one bright moment came in the first inning when leadoff hitter Corey Dickerson belted his seventh home run since joining the Drillers, putting them ahead 1-0. According to the Drillers’ official website, the long drive cleared the right-field bullpen and landed atop a picnic area roof.

Starter Josh Outman, who struggled mightily with the Rockies earlier in the season, shut out Arkansas for five innings, allowing just four hits. But the Travelers scored four runs in the sixth. Outman gave up eight hits and four runs in 5 2/3 innings, his record falling to 1-2.

Modesto 7, Lake Elsinore 6 (12 innings)
Juan Crousset smashed a two-out triple to center to score Cristhian Adames in the top of the 12th, lifting High-A Modesto to it’s second extra-inning victory of the weekend. Nuts reliever Nick Schnaitmann set the Storm down in order in the bottom of the inning to nail down his first save of the season.

Nuts lefty Isaiah Froneberger improved to 5-1 by tossing three scoreless innings, including a perfect ninth when he struck out the side.

Modesto appeared to be in control until Lake Elsinor pinch-hitter Michael Powers hit a two-out grand slam against Chad Rose to tie the game in the eighth.

Kyle Parker hit a two-run homer in the first inning to begin his three-hit day, and Crousset also had three hits.

Greensboro 3, Asheville 2
Starter Tyler Anderson had another solid outing for the Class-A Tourists, allowing just two runs in five innings. He gave up five hits and three walks, striking out four and induced eight groundball outs.

Taylor Featherston had three hits for Asheville, while Tyler Massey added two.

There are a few things about minor league ball that I grew up with. The seven inning game double headers. Players coming out early to sign autographs for us kids. Talking to the ballplayers and umpires during rain delays or between games of a double header. And of course, Mark Holtz going nuts on radio when Jim Cox hit a three run homer to win 16-14 in front of 35,000 July 4 fireworks night fans in 1978.

Patrick, a third-generation Colorado native, is back for his second stint covering the Rockies. He first covered the team from 2005-2009, helping chronicle “Rocktober” in 2007 and also following the team’s playoff run in 2009.

Nick Groke has worked at The Denver Post since 1997, as a sports reporter, city reporter, entertainment writer and digital editor and producer, among other newsroom posts. He also writes regularly about boxing, soccer, MMA and NASCAR.